Friday has been a scary, intense ride. I had the privilege to be in the “Children’s” area when they’ve barged in with horses and threw tear gas in a constant fire.

They’ve pushed and herded us like cattle. We were choking and crying and stopping at every step to shout back.

All of us. All. I’ve never felt more connected and proud of my people. Old people, teenagers, mothers; it didn’t matter. We kept turning towards the horses and screaming that “we won’t ever leave!”.

I ended up home shaken and scared, with clothes reeking of tear gas.

The trauma was the next day, however, while watching the official response of the armed forces.

It was seeing officials lie so shamelessly. Or rather, to see officials lie when there’s proof of all sorts against them.

There’s a joke in Romania, with the punchline “Do you believe what you’re seeing or what I’m telling you?!”. We’ve reached that point.

The statements by the police were another attack on the people: “They deserved it. They attacked. Our response was adequate!” said the armed forces spokesperson.

“They should’ve been gunned down, not hit with water cannons”, chirped an adviser to the Prime Minister.

Official representatives say that with this violent protest we (the people) are aiming to have another Colectiv. These are people who casually throw the death of over 50 people in a conversation.

It’s terrifying because it makes you wonder. Where do they draw the line? At someone dying? Because over 400 have been hurt and not one has been visited in the hospital –even if it’s legally required for the police to do so.

I feel that we somehow ended up paying to be screwed over. Because it’s our taxes and salaries and income that supports this cancerous growth of a government.

And if a year ago it bothered to keep some veneers, now the teeth are out.

So I’m embittered, that I’ve come back to Sweden and our protests barely caused a dent. The anger will eventually die down. The news of the abuse will be less and less frequent, and the chief of the social democrat party will continue his destructive agenda. This is not a government worried it will upset its people.

Yeah, the government knows we hate them. They know they’re illiterate and corrupt. And they could not care less.

I am embittered, but not hopeless.

There’s some silver lining. The #farapenali initiative.

We might be lied to, witness our money being spent for holiday homes in Brazil, and generally be taken the piss at; but we have one action they can’t stop.

Even if they try.

It’s a grassroots movement which they can’t do anything about.

It is much more than collecting signatures. It is communities coming together. It’s a starting call for civic involvement.

I’ve heard it many times while collecting: “If you feel hopeless and helpless, sign! It’s the one thing you can do that can change something”.

So, I feel we’re doing that. We’re collecting hope. And that hope is taking shape. It might fail and somehow, I think that every person who signs is mentally preparing themselves for that scenario. But in signing, a switch is flipped on. And that is, fundamentally, the most important part of this action.

That when all will be said and done, we’ll have one million Romanians who are aware. And active. And ready to do more.

I’ve attended quite a few protests since 2015. I’ve gotten more and more involved in the past year as the situation in Romania grew darker.

I never thought why I’m doing all I’m doing. And now that I ask myself, I can only think of one thing: It’s my duty. This isn’t some left or right side issue. It’s not political. My country is being royally screwed by a vile band of criminals; by people so incompetent they wouldn’t pass one interview at a private company. And we should all roll up our sleeves and chase them the f**k out (you can edit out the f word J ).